LUCY WILLIAMS 1857-1880
Lucy was the first born child of Willie Williams and Annie Fitz Doyle. She was born in Pyrmont, Sydney on 3 September 1857. She had two younger brothers– Harold born in 1859, and Cyrus in 1862. Their mother died in 1865.
When their father remarried in 1870 Lucy seems to have disapproved of the marriage or had a falling out with her father or new stepmother. Thereafter, according to her brother Cyrus in his Journal written in 1932, she lived with other relatives and never again lived with her birth family. Cyrus devoted one short paragraph of his Journal to recollections of his sister Lucy:
“My recollections of my sister Lucy are a little vague. She left my father’s house on his second marriage in 1870, when I was eight years old, and never re-entered it. She lived at Wotunga (sic) with the Cadells, she and Clara having great times among the naval officers on the station. She also spent a good deal of time at Kaludah and Dartmouth, at one of which places she died about 1883. Among the naval officers who used to visit Wotunga were Prince Louis of Battenburg and Captain Tapnell, the latter marrying Clara, became an admiral and died in London in 1931.”
In these recollections Cyrus was not entirely accurate. Prince Louis of Battenburg(sic) seems to have visited Australia but not until after 1880. He may have spent time at Wotunga, but not while Lucy was alive. Captain Tapnell was actually Captain Tufnell. He did indeed marry Clara, become an Admiral, and died in London, but in 1930. Last, but not least, Lucy died in 1880, not 1883. Cyrus later called his own first born child Lucy.
Wotunga is now Admiralty House, which is the official Sydney residence of the Governor-General of Australia. It occupies a commanding position overlooking Sydney Harbour from Kirribilli Point, directly opposite the Sydney Opera House.
“In April 1874, Wotonga House was auctioned and bought for 10,100 pounds by Mr Thomas Cadell, a Sydney merchant and member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1881 to 1896. At that time, the house was described as possessing a wide verandah, a spacious entrance hall, drawing and dining rooms, 10 bedrooms and the "'usual rooms"" in the main part of the house, as well as having a large courtyard, servant's rooms, kitchen, stables, etc., with an abundant water supply, which never failed in the driest weather.”
The Cadells were related to Willie by marriage – Thomas Oliver Lascelles Cadell (1831-1896) had married Willie’s first wife’s younger sister, Sophia Richabella DOYLE in 1859. They had nine children together. Sophia had also had two children by her first marriage to her cousin Bartholomew DOYLE whom she married in 1850. Bartholomew died in 1855.
Clara Cadell was Thomas and Sophia’s oldest daughter, born in 1862, and she was therefore five years younger than her cousin Lucy.
Kaludah and Dartmouth were Doyle family properties. Lucy died at Dartmouth where she was staying with her Doyle grandparents after being ill for three years with phthisis (tuberculosis). She was buried at Muswellbrook Cemetery. The inscription at the base of her marble column grave headstone says simply:
Lucy Williams Died Oct 21st 1880 Aged 23 Years
Her grandparents John and Ellen were buried alongside her, in 1882 and 1891 respectively. Two other Doyle relatives were also buried in adjacent graves.
When their father remarried in 1870 Lucy seems to have disapproved of the marriage or had a falling out with her father or new stepmother. Thereafter, according to her brother Cyrus in his Journal written in 1932, she lived with other relatives and never again lived with her birth family. Cyrus devoted one short paragraph of his Journal to recollections of his sister Lucy:
“My recollections of my sister Lucy are a little vague. She left my father’s house on his second marriage in 1870, when I was eight years old, and never re-entered it. She lived at Wotunga (sic) with the Cadells, she and Clara having great times among the naval officers on the station. She also spent a good deal of time at Kaludah and Dartmouth, at one of which places she died about 1883. Among the naval officers who used to visit Wotunga were Prince Louis of Battenburg and Captain Tapnell, the latter marrying Clara, became an admiral and died in London in 1931.”
In these recollections Cyrus was not entirely accurate. Prince Louis of Battenburg(sic) seems to have visited Australia but not until after 1880. He may have spent time at Wotunga, but not while Lucy was alive. Captain Tapnell was actually Captain Tufnell. He did indeed marry Clara, become an Admiral, and died in London, but in 1930. Last, but not least, Lucy died in 1880, not 1883. Cyrus later called his own first born child Lucy.
Wotunga is now Admiralty House, which is the official Sydney residence of the Governor-General of Australia. It occupies a commanding position overlooking Sydney Harbour from Kirribilli Point, directly opposite the Sydney Opera House.
“In April 1874, Wotonga House was auctioned and bought for 10,100 pounds by Mr Thomas Cadell, a Sydney merchant and member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1881 to 1896. At that time, the house was described as possessing a wide verandah, a spacious entrance hall, drawing and dining rooms, 10 bedrooms and the "'usual rooms"" in the main part of the house, as well as having a large courtyard, servant's rooms, kitchen, stables, etc., with an abundant water supply, which never failed in the driest weather.”
The Cadells were related to Willie by marriage – Thomas Oliver Lascelles Cadell (1831-1896) had married Willie’s first wife’s younger sister, Sophia Richabella DOYLE in 1859. They had nine children together. Sophia had also had two children by her first marriage to her cousin Bartholomew DOYLE whom she married in 1850. Bartholomew died in 1855.
Clara Cadell was Thomas and Sophia’s oldest daughter, born in 1862, and she was therefore five years younger than her cousin Lucy.
Kaludah and Dartmouth were Doyle family properties. Lucy died at Dartmouth where she was staying with her Doyle grandparents after being ill for three years with phthisis (tuberculosis). She was buried at Muswellbrook Cemetery. The inscription at the base of her marble column grave headstone says simply:
Lucy Williams Died Oct 21st 1880 Aged 23 Years
Her grandparents John and Ellen were buried alongside her, in 1882 and 1891 respectively. Two other Doyle relatives were also buried in adjacent graves.